Frame construction with attachment strips



Aug. 19, 1947. w, -1 NEELY T 2,425,951

FRAME CONSTRUCTION WITH ATTACHMENT STRIPS Filed July 14, 1945 INVENTOR. WILLIAM H- NEELY Patente d Aug. 19, 1947 FRAME CONSTRUCTION WITH ATTACHMENT STRIPS William H. Neely, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to The Universal Wire Spring Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 14, 1943, Serial No. 494,891

This invention relates in general to upholstered seat constructions in which upholstered spring structures are mounted on metal seat frames made of metal tubings or sections and, more particularly, to attachment strips for these metal frames to permit proper and easyattachment of upholstery of these seat constructions to these metal frames.

The general object of this invention is the provision of separate and individual attachment means for frame constructions of the type referred to above, which attachment means can readily and easily be welded to or otherwise secured to frame constructions and which are designed and constructed to be easily bent or twisted to the desired shape so as to properly fit the respective frame construction.

This general object of the invention is attained by using as attachment means a thin metal band provided in its upper portion, parallel to its upper edge, with a plurality of aligned, elongated perforations and, in its lower edge, with a plurality of slits positioned at substantially right,

angles to said lower edge directly opposite the space between adjoining perforations.

Another object of the invention therefore is the provision of a metal attachment means made of a thin, flexible metal band which embodies a p1urality of aligned, elongated perforations in its upper portion near its upper edge and whichis provided in its lower portion with a plurality of slits extended from the lower edge of the band toward the space between adjoining perforations, so that the band is subdivided into a plurality of sections interconnected with each other by relatively narrow portions of the band.

In addition the invention has certain other marked superiorities which radically distinguish it from presently known structures. These improvements embodying certain novel features of construction are more clearly set forth in the following specification and the appended claims; and a preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter shown with reference to the accompanying drawing forming part of the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tubular metal frame of a seatconstruction which frame has welded thereto a metal attachment strip built in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the metal attachment strip shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a metal attachment strip welded to a straight tubular rail section and a covering carried around the rail section and secured to the attachment strip by means of hog rings.

7 Claims. (01. -180) Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a metal attachment strip welded toan upwardly curved rail section with the attachment strip bent in its plane to follow the upward curvature of the rail section.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a metal attachment strip welded to a downwardly curved rail section with the attachment strip bent in its plane to follow the downward curvature of the rail section, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a frame construction with downwardly curved side rails.

Referring nOW more particularly to the drawing reference numeral 2 denotes the seat frame structure of an automobile seat construction which frame structure is a substantially rectangularly shaped open frame of tubular piping, the side rails 3, 3' of which are bent upwardly to elevate rear rail 4 with-respect to a plane through the front rail 5 and the front portions 6, 6' of side rails 3, 3', so as to provide ample space for yield{ ing action of a spring construction of elongate corrugated wire springs (not shown), generally mounted on and secured to the front and rear rails. The frame structure which embodies symmetrically arranged supporting arms 1, I adapted to mount the structure as customary on rails has welded to the inner sides of side rails 3, 3' attachment strips 8, 8' bent to the shape of the side rails and used to secure a covering or the like to the frame structure as will be described later.

The attachment strips 8, 8' are made of flexible metal bands 9 permitting proper bending and twisting of the strips and have arranged in their upper portions in close proximity to their upper edge ill a plurality of elongated perforations II which are aligned with each other in slightly spaced relation and provide means for securing upholstery and covering directly to the frame. Furthermore strips 8, 8 are slitted at their lower edges l2 so that the slits l4 formed therein are positioned opposite the connecting areas l5 between adjoining perforations II. The slits I4 extend upwardly into proximity of the areas l5 and have their inner ends rounded at Hi to reduce resistance of the strips against their being bent or formed in their planes.

The attachment strips 8, 8' are welded to frame a structure 2 in such a fashion that the perforated portions thereof extend above the top of the rails of said frame structure and permit of proper use of said extended portions for attaching upholstery and covering thereto by means of hog rings l'l piercing covering l8 and threaded through the respective perforations II. The slits l4 subdivide the attachment strips 8, 8 into a series of sections l 9 which are connected with each other by areas 20 located between perforations H and narrow strips of material 2| located above the perforations I I so that the attachment strips can readily be bent to the desired shape even when such bending is to be efiected in the plane of the strips as clearly disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5. These figures show fragmentary views of frame constructions with upwardly and downwardly bent rails which have secured thereto attachment strips constructed according to the invention.

Thus Fig. 4 shows a tubular rail section 22 which is curved upwardly and has attached to its side an attachment strip 23 bent to follow the upward curvature of the rail section. When so bent sections l9 of strip 23 have been shifted with respect to each other and upper edge 24 of strip 23 has been shortened and its lower edge 25 lengthened. Shortening of upper edge 24 is possible as connecting areas 20 between perforations II are comparatively small and as the nar- .row strips 2| above perforations ll readily yield outwardly and form a sinuous outline of upper edge- 24, and lengthening of lower edge 25 is readily effected as slits 26 in strip 23 open up without practical deformation of this part of strip 23. The sinuous outline 'of upper edge 24 does not interfere with the utility of perforations H as can readily be seen from an inspection of Fig. 4, and the attachment of the sections I9 to the rail section 22 can also readily and easily be accomplished.

Fig. shows a tubular rail section 21' of one of the side rails 3| of the tubular frame construction 32 shown in Fig. 6. Tubular rail section 21 curves downwardly and has welded to its side an attachment strip 28 bent to the outline of rail section 21. In this case sections I9 of strip 28 have been shifted with respect to each other on fulcrums positioned in connecting areas 20 close to the upper edge 29 of attachment strip 28 as lengthening of said upper edge is practically impossible. The lower edge 30 of the attachment strip 28 has been shortened to such an extent that the sections 19 overlap each other a position readily possible on account of the depth of slits 26.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a seat construction for upholstered furniture, automobile seats, and the like, an open frame structure having upwardly curved side rails, and attachment strips secured to the inner faces of said side rails and partly extended above same, said attachment strips following the curvature of said side rails and having their extended upper edge portions corrugated and formed with spaced, aligned and elongated perforations and their lower portions slitted and spread, the slits in said lower portions being extended toward the space between adjoining perforations.

2. In a seat construction for upholstered furniture, automobile seats, and the like, an open frame structure having downwardly curved rails, and attachment means formed in strips secured to the inner faces of said rails and partly extended above same, said attachment means following the curvature of said rails and having their extended upper portions formed with spaced, aligned and elongated perforations and their lower portions slotted to form interconnected sections positioned in overlapping relation with respect to each other.

3. An attachment strip for frame structures of upholstered furniture, automobile seats, and the like, embodying a band of yielding material including a plurality of spaced perforations arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of said band near one edge, and a plurality of slits in said band extending from its other edge in rectangular relation to said axis toward the spaces between adjacent perforations.

4. An attachment strip for frame structures of upholstered furniture, automobile seats, and the like, embo dying a metal band including a plurality of spaced perforations arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of said band near one edge,

slits in said band extending from its other edge in rectangular relation to said axis toward the spaces between adjoining perforations to permit and facilitate bending of said metal band in these spaces.

6. In a seat construction for upholstered furniture, automobile seats and the like, an open frame structure comprising side, front and rear rails, and flexible upholstery attachment means secured to the inner faces of the side rails of said frame structure so as to extend with their upper portions above said rails, said attachment means including in their upper portions spaced aligned perforations and in their lower portions slits extended from the lower edge of said attachment means toward the spaces between said perforations to subdivide the lower portions into sections.

'7. In a seat construction for upholstered furniture, automobile seats and the like, an open frame structure comprising side, front and rear rails, and flexible upholstery attachment strips secured to the inner faces of the side rails of said frame structure so as to extend with their upper portions above said rails, said attachment strips including in their upper portions spaced, aligned and elongated perforations, and in their lower portions slits extended from the lower edge of said strips toward the spaces between adjoining perforations to subdivide said lower portions into sections.

WILLIAM H. NEELY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,096,822 Oldham Oct. 26, 1937 1,431,869 Bergen Oct. 10, 1922 1,292,290 Foill Jan. 21, 1919 1,544,872 Trimble July 7, 1925 1,729,559 Stubnitz Sept. 24, 1929 2,188,560 Todd Jan. 30, 1940 1,199,247 DArcy Sept. 26, 1916 1,578,413 Eyster Mar. 30, 1926 1,938,561 Stubnitz Dec. 5, 1933 1,876,693 Kraft Sept. 13, 1932 2,355,707 DeBoer Aug. 15, 1944 884,730 Hale Apr. 14, 1908 2,169,197 Reed Aug. 8, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Australia Oct. 4, 1934 

